Seed-dropper.



.I. M. HEFNER.

SEED DROPPER APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1915-.

1,235,1 39. Patented July 31, 1917.

A Witnesses Inventor %vzwm I by Attorneys JOHN M. HEFNER, OF REDWATER,TEXAS.

SEED-DROPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed May 12, 1916. Serial No. 97,101.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. Hnrnnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Redwater, in the county of Bowie and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Seed-Dropper, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to seed droppers designed to be actuated by handand primarily intended for dropping peas between hills of corn althoughit is to be understood that the device can be used for dropping peas orother like seeds wherever desired.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is lightand can therefore, be easily handled with one hand, which will keep thepeas agitated and thus prevent choking, and which can be adjusted torelease a desired number at a time.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section on line A-B Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a section on line CD Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates themain strip of the dropper, the same being provided on one side with aseed container 2 which has an inclined bottom leading to an opening 3formed in the strip 1 at a point somewhat removed from the lower end ofthe strip. A guide sleeve 5 is carried by the upper portion of the strip1.

One side of the strip is recessed longitudinally as at 6 to form endshoulders or abutments 7.

Slidably mounted within the sleeve 5 is a movable strip 8 which alsoextends through a guard strap 9 provided at the lower end of thecontainer 2 and which strap bridges over the opening 3. Formed in thelower end portion of this strip 8 is an opening 10 and when the strip 8is raised to the upper l1m1t of its movement relative to the strip 1,this opening will be brought into register with the opening 3 and willbe sealed by the strap or guard 9. When, however, strip 8 is moveddownwardly to the other limit of its movement, the lower portion of theopening 10 will become exposed below the strap 9 so that the contents ofthe opening will be free to discharge into a small boot 11 secured tothe strip 1 and extending across the lower portion of the strap 9. Thisboot is preferably open at the top and bottom, and is inclined, the bootconstituting a housing for the lower end of the strip 8 when thrustdownwardly.

The upper end portion of strip 8 is enlarged to provide a shoulder 12adapted to move against the end of the strip 1 and thus limit thedownward movement of the strip 8. A grip or handle 13 is attached to theupper end portion of the strip 8 and is adapted to be grasped by thehand used in manipulating the dropper.

The side strip 8 is provided with a longitudinal slot 15 and adjustablymounted within the slot is a bolt 16 the head 17 of which is seatedwithin the recess 6 in the strip 1. This bolt can be adjustedlongitudinally of the strip 8. By means of a nut 18, the bolt 15 can befastened in any position to which it may be adjusted within the slot 15.

In using the device the container 2 is partly or entirely filled withthe peas or other seeds to be planted and the device is carried fromplace to place by means of the handle 13. The weight of the container 2and its contents will be sufficient to hold the strip fixed with theupper end of recess 6 bearing against the bolt head 17 and with theopening 3 in register with the opening 10. Thus it is impossible forseeds to escape downwardly from the container. When it is desired todrop seeds the blunt end of strip 1 is placed upon the ground and thehandle is thrust downwardly. This will cause the opening 10 with theseeds therein to move downwardly so as to discharge the contents of theopening into the boot 11, whereupon the seeds will gravitate from theboot and onto the grotmd. Obviously by adjusting the bolt 16 themovement of strip 8 relative to strip 1 can be regulated and, con

sequently, the number of seeds discharged into the boot can be varied.When the movably connected parts are brought to their respective limitsof movement, they Will jar the container 2 to such an extent that thecontents thereof will be agitated, and consequently, there Will be noclogging of the device.

-What is claimed is A seed dropper including slidably connected strips,there being a longitudinal recess in one side of one of the strips and alongitudinal slot in the other strip and normally communicating with therecess, a stop adjustably mounted Within the slot and proj ecting intothe recess for limiting the relative movement of the strips, a handle onone of the strips, a seed container upon the other strip and having anoutlet opening, there being an opening in the handle carrying stripnormally registering with said outlet opening, means normally housingthe opening in the handle carrying strip for preventing the escape ofseeds therefrom, and a boot carried by the container strip, said stripsbeing shiftable relative to each other to bring the apertured portion ofthe handle strip into the boot.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN M. HEFNER.

Witnesses:

H. F. ENDsLEY, Gr. S. BARHMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

